Anybody crossed over from camhs into adult mental health care?

[seriouslyworried]

If so, how did you find it? Was it helpful? Did you get better access to help and care?

I ask as my dd is 17 and about to cross from camhs into adult care. She has started taking drugs to cope with her anxiety, and I dont mean prescribed! Camhs are useless and I am hoping that adult services will open up a new level of care. Am I being dumb here????

There’s no money for mh, most areas seem strapped, Waiting list are so long for any kind of therapy
In my area you have to self refer to iapt, 1st point access this is non urgent care. Urgent care is classed as psychotic or suicidal

Adult MH services are in total crisis - there is no funding and the most you can hope for in my area is a block of 6 group 'anxiety management' sessions! Afterwards referal to GP for 'ongoing care' (e.g. medication) ... since when were GP's MH specialists? I wish your dd the best of luck and hope she finds strength within herself/your family to manage her difficulties ... as the hope of good care in adult MH services is nonexistent ... so sorry to be honest with the bleak reality.

God! That all sounds so bleak! With Mental Health awareness so prominent in the news it is a disgrace! Mental health in young people is so rife right now. And of course those young people become adults and the strain in the system just gets worse. There seems to be no rehab options for teens that I can see, so I was hoping the options would be better as an adult. Private care is not really an option! Dealing with anxiety and depression is hard enough for anyone, but as a teen it is an absolute nightmare....many young people rely on what their friends say and do! My dd lost faith in Camhs and the drugs they were prescribing her which is why she has gone down the weed and street Xanax route. I’m going out of my mind and nobody seems to be able to help!!

Sadly not, if anything it’s worse as there’s been money put into cahms more recently.

It varies hugely by postcode whats available and in some cases, like in my area, it’s the bare bones of support.

My eldest has just crossed over from 1 appointment annually with CAMHS after their psychiatrist left in protest to a letter saying that no adult appointment will be made as from notes my child appears stable and GP can refer if necessary. This was 6 weeks after an almost successful suicide attempt. Fight now, while still under CAMHS and you have some say. Once under adult services you can't say or do a damn thing as your troubled child will be a legal adult and suddenly responsible for fighting their own case: if they had the strength to do that they wouldn't be under MH services in the first place would they?

If your DD is still at school they should be able to get access to some local counselling which might help for anxiety. Google self-help groups/counsellors etc. MH services can't/won't be enough.

I’m so sorry to hear that...I have been there! She is currently about to drop her college course!!! She just can’t cope with going anymore. We have six more months under Camhs but they don’t seem to be taking the drugs seriously...and I get where they are coming from, I mean if she doesn’t want to stop taking them they can’t make her. But I would like to think they would offer a drugs worker or drugs councillor for her??? Nothing!!!!!

"there’s been money put into cahms more recently"

Just to clarify, there was money PROMISED to CAMHS from the govt but very little actually materialised. Not all the promised money was provided, and most of what was was creamed off into other areas of the NHS by the CCGs (community health commissioners).
CAMHS is as underfunded as ever. Sorry to butt in, but needed to clarify that.

OP, services for adults vary area by area, and it may be that your DD does find something more suitable for her, I do hope so, but she would do well to cut back on the illicit drug use if she plans to engage with mental health services. I wish her the best.

I went from CAMHS to adult mental health many years ago.

I'm of the opinion that adult mental health is better resourced than CAMHS. I get adult MH services at the moment, and I know they are better funded in my local area than CAMHS e.g. if I need to go into hospital I can go locally, whereas CAMHS patients can be sent hundreds of miles away. I think adult services are much more knowledgable about recreational drugs and MH problems, so your DD going to adult MH services may well be a good thing.